TOKYO, Nov 22 — A foreign dignitary bowing to Emperor Akihito?
The Japanese at first paid no particular attention when United States President Barack Obama deftly executed an awe-inspiring 90-degree bow and simultaneous handshake upon being greeted by the monarch at the Imperial Palace here last weekend.
After all, this is a society where bowing is a way of life and an indispensable social skill.
So the Japanese were taken aback when pictures of Obama’s gesture drew vitriolic remarks from conservative American commentators and on US radio talk shows and blogs.
A spokesman for the Imperial Household Agency told reporters that Obama’s bow looked “natural and appropriate”.
Apparently Obama, who stands at 1.87m and is about 20cm taller than the Emperor, might have chosen to bow low so as to make eye contact with his host.
And although etiquette dictates that bows do not go with handshakes, it would have been impolite for Obama to have refused the Emperor’s outstretched hand.
Said office worker Chieko Gyobu: “Mr. Obama’s very low bow is rare, but it does not give a bad impression to any Japanese. In fact, it shows he has impeccable manners.”
On one Japanese online forum, a netizen with the user-name ponpon wrote: “It is good to see a modest Obama-san. With him, I feel a sense of intimacy never felt before with other US presidents.”
The problem is that many Americans seem to equate bowing with subservience or apology.
Accusations that Obama was grovelling to a foreign leader came especially from Americans opposed to his policies, such as the revamping of the health-care system.
In a blog published on the Los Angeles Times website, journalist Andrew Malcolm called Obama’s behaviour “undignified” and asked: ‘How low will the new American president go for the world’s royalty?’
No less than former vice-president Dick Cheney, who is remembered for his stiff upright handshake with the Emperor in 2007 that smacked somewhat of disrespect, told Politico website that “there is no need for an American president to bow to anyone”.
The culturally sensitive Obama was also booed by his critics when he greeted Saudi King Abdullah at the April G-20 meeting with a deep bow and handshake.
Similarly, then-President Bill Clinton, who is as tall as Obama, was mocked for almost bowing when receiving the Emperor at the White House in 1994.
US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly came to Obama’s defence, telling reporters that the bow was a “sign of respect for the Emperor”.
Admiral Timothy Keating, who retired last month as top commander of US troops in Asia, said he did not hesitate to bow when the Emperor visited Hawaii in July.
“You see the Emperor, you express your respect for the man and the history and the position he holds. It’s almost a reflexive gesture,” he was quoted by AFP as saying.
It is part of diplomatic protocol to observe a country’s tradition with regard to greeting rituals.
So even though most foreign leaders prefer to stick to a simple handshake, an American president bowing when meeting the Japanese Emperor is not something extraordinary, and should be regarded as no different from bear-hugging a Russian president or kissing the cheeks of a French leader.
One problem for Obama is that his action was frozen in time by cameras, which makes his bow seem to linger like one that was made in apology.
Video clips, however, tell a different story.
They show Obama greeting the Emperor with a swift and elegant dip of his upper body that was held for barely a second, conveying deep respect and friendship to a beaming elderly monarch and nothing more.
It was clearly not the same as a bow made in deference or guilt, which is expected to be held for several seconds to communicate the bower’s sentiments.
In South Korea, which also has a strong bowing culture and deep respect for the elderly, one report said that about 40 per cent of online comments expressed surprise at Obama’s deep bow, but felt it was only diplomatic protocol.
The other 60 per cent, however, expressed shock that America should be seen submitting to Japan.
In China, where handshaking has virtually replaced bowing, netizens at the Global Times portal site largely felt Obama’s bow was no big issue, especially as the Emperor is almost 30 years older than the US leader. - Straits Times
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